Fight to Be Together
by WizMonCruWil
Summary: "Seeing the chink, Ben allowed himself to safely bring his face quite close. Rey stood as near him as she could, gently reaching through to hold his hand. That glorious smile was back on Ben's face again, given just for her. ""Hi," he murmured. Rey held back a happy sob. "Hi..." she whispered. Then, not able to stand it any longer, she... grabbed Ben's face and kissed him." Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1: Separated

**Chapter 1: Separated**

Rey ignored the cheers as she walked through the Resistance base on Ajan Kloss, guiding her companion by the hand. The hooded figure at her side was covered in a black cloak - a garment they had found on hand in Luke's old X-Wing when fleeing Exogol.

Through the crowd, Rey saw Finn and Poe spy her, their faces lighting up in relief...

... and then their faces fell, Poe's eyes going wide in disbelief, Finn eyeing something behind Rey with wary mistrust. Glancing back, Rey saw that the hood had fallen away from his face and she winced; she had hoped that he would wait just a little bit longer before revealing himself.

Gasps now went up amidst the crowd, followed by clicks and pitched whines as blasters were suddenly drawn and powered up. Panicking, Rey leapt in front of her lover.

"Don't shoot! Don't shoot! Please." She was still conspicuously holding his hand.

Finn and Poe now strode forward, blasters also aimed at Kylo Ren's head. Behind her, Ben sported a strained smile and awkwardly waved.

"Uh... hi."

"You insolent piece-of-shit!" Finn growled. "You nearly destroy the entire galaxy, and all you can say for yourself is 'Uh, hi'?!" He glanced to Poe. "What do we do, General?"

Poe glared at the cloaked man across from him, over Rey's shoulder, looking Ben up and down. "Take him into custody." Beaumont and several other soldiers moved in, forming a posse ring. Poe cocked his gun threateningly. "Surrender, Supreme Leader. Your reign is at an end."

Watching the posse ring encircle and trap both her and Ben, Rey's brain worked fast. She considered taking out Luke and Leia's lightsabers and beating them back, but she really didn't want to hurt her friends. However, what other choice did she have to protect Ben?

"Rey..." his voice was soothing as he touched her arm. Glancing back, Ben gave a slight shake of his head. He had read her thoughts like an open book.

There was a long, strained tableau of silence. Rey and Ben held each other's stare. Gazing deep into each other's eyes, they seemed to master that unique skill among couples of talking whole conversations with no words. Slowly, Rey nodded, and she dropped Ben's hand. Ben proceeded to reach for the sky.

"I surrender." His voice rang out sure.

Poe's eyes gleamed. "Seize him." Beaumont and several other Resistance fighters proceeded to corner the prisoner and jump him.

"NO!" Rey screamed, lunging for them, but Poe's arms got around her middle and held fast. "BEN! BENNN!" Tears streamed down her cheeks.

"REY!" Ben was doing his level best to keep Rey in his sights, holding only her in his eyes, as the Resistance fighters cuffed him and began to drag him away.

"Wait." Finn suddenly held up a hand and all movement ceased. He glanced to Poe, and his Co-General nodding deferentially.

"Your command."

Finn nodded. "We don't have a place to detain him." His eyes darted around the clearing, trying to find a solution. His eyes at last landed on a very familiar YT class freighter. "Guards, secure the prisoner aboard the Millennium Falcon. There's a storeroom in the back that will do enough for now. There's no door at the moment... but we'll fix that." Glancing back to Poe, Poe nodded, another part of the plan falling into his head. In the interim, the pilot's grip on Rey loosened and she dashed forward. Beaumont tried to hold her back.

"Rey..." Ben gazed deep into her eyes, heart breaking as she wept for him. Whimpering, her mouth pursing into a taut line, Rey shook her head. "Rey, look at me, honey..." And Ben sent her that easy smile that made her stomach do flip-flops. "It's gonna be all right."

Rey whimpered again. Then she launched herself forward and desperately pressed her lips against his. Poe and Finn shouted in deep objection, their raised voices carrying over the others' gasps of horror. Rey and Ben didn't care. They kissed and kissed each other's lips in frantic, terrified pecks, moving to kiss any exposed skin. Rey nuzzled her nose against Ben's before throwing her arms around him.

"I love you!" she whispered in his ear. She felt Ben's happiness.

"I know," he murmured. The Resistance fighters tugged him out of Rey's embrace and slowly dragged him away. All the while, Ben kept his sights on his Jedi princess, until the last.

As Ben disappeared up the gangplank of the _Falcon_, Rey moved to follow him. Their Bond, their Dyad, was howling in protest, compelling her to be near him. Behind her, she heard a finger snap.

"You stay." Poe's growling voice brokered no room for argument. Rey glowered at him defiantly, but stayed frozen in place. She glanced to Finn, eyes pleading, but he also appeared unmoved, regarding her with something that could only be described as fear. Fear for her.

Rey's heart sank. If she couldn't even keep Finn on her side, she now knew that she and Ben were in for it.


	2. Chapter 2: Through a Fence

**Chapter 2: Through a Fence**

It had been three days since Ben had been arrested. In that time, Rey had had no choice but to return to her room. She spent her time studying the Jedi texts, meditating and reaching out to Ben through their Bond. Though she could feel him and his warmth, his love, they did not appear to each other, resulting in Rey climbing into her cot and crying herself to sleep.

Through Rose Tico, who had been assigned to do maintenance repairs to the _Falcon_, Rey had learned that Ben was being held in the ship's storeroom, the doorway sealed off with some kind of purple fencing. He was apparently being fed, thanks to Chewie, but the Wookie was providing the meals reluctantly, barking and yelling and taking grief out on Ben in anguished Shriiywook. So far, uncle and nephew had never exchanged anything constructive.

This morning of the third day, Rey rose from her bed and dressed. Her eyes steely and fixed with determination, she marched her way down to Poe's office. She knocked on the door purposefully.

"Come in."

Rey did. When he saw the Jedi, Poe set down a stack of policy papers and sighed.

"Rey..."

"General: request permission to go visit the prisoner Ben Solo?" Rey demanded through gritted teeth.

Poe's eyes were sharp as flint. "As I have said for the last three days: No. Permission denied."

Rey fumed. "You can't stop us from being together!" she blasted.

"Yes, I can!" Poe steamed, whirling on her, eyes blazing. "Finn and I can do whatever we have to do to protect you! I forbid you to see him!"

Rey's face churned with disdain and disgust. "You're not my father..."

"No, but I am your commanding officer!" Poe's face softened. "And I like to think I'm like your big brother. Siblings protect each other."

Rey bristled, squirming under his familial, soft gaze. "While I... appreciate that sentiment, your protection is deeply misplaced. You and Finny don't have to protect me! Ben is good to me! He has turned back to the Light." Eyes filling with tears, she pleaded. "Poe, please... I'm in love..."

He sighed, gazing at her sympathetically. "Rey, what do you know about true love?"

She glared. "A whole hell of a lot! The Force wishes us to be together! We are bound to each other in the Force! I have to see him..."

"Rey -"

"Please." And Rey's voice was so sweet, broken, that Poe was rapidly finding nowhere in his heart to say No. He sighed heavily, running a hand over his face.

"Get Finn... and then we will take you to him."

Eyes watery, Rey beamed. She even pecked him on the cheek, murmuring, "I knew you couldn't always be a difficult man." He just harrumphed in response.

Finn was positively livid when Rey fetched him and they met with Poe, only to learn that all three were heading to the _Falcon_.

"Are you insane?" he hissed at Poe.

Poe shrugged. "She wore me down."

"Exactly what you shouldn't have let her do!"

Rey tuned out their bickering as they headed up the gangplank. Arriving in the galley, Rey spotted and hugged Chewie. Bringing her cheek out of his fur and staring up into the Wookie's face, she asked, "How is he?"

RAAAARRRRW! AWWRRRRR!

Rey beamed, her heart fluttering. "Miserable without me? Well, let's fix that..." Heart alighting, she followed Poe and Finn eagerly down the ship's passageways, heading towards the back. Rounding one corner, Rey stopped in her tracks with a gasp.

The _Falcon_'s storeroom had had its doorway covered with electromagnetic fencing. Purple sparks of electricity crackled and pulsed in front of the doorway, behind which was Ben, pacing. Pausing in his patrol of the floor, Ben glanced up, body stiffening in excitement as he saw who was with the Generals.

"Rey?... Rey?!"

Rey beamed lovingly at him. "Ben!" Dancing past Poe and Finn, her eyes only for _him_, she made to run into his arms. But Ben held up his hands, eyes wide in fear.

"Don't! Don't! The fencing!"

Rey skidded into a stop in the nick of time. Another inch of forward inertia, and her face would have been electrocuted. Slowly raising a hand, inches from the sparks, Rey studied the contraption that was separating her from her love. Closing her eyes, she pushed out with the Force, willing her essence to slip past the purple sparks, through the holes in the fencing.

Her Force signature broke into the cell, brushing up against Ben's. Their essences merged like two people caressing in a lover's embrace, and Rey and Ben both let out twin sighs of pining. Ben smiled at Rey tenderly. Weakly, she smiled back.

"I feel you..." she whispered.

"I feel you," he echoed with a murmur.

Their Dyad exulted, the Force surging so happily that the entire ship began to shake. The _Falcon_'s lights flickered in and out. Whole crates bounced along the floor. Poe and Finn glanced about in shocked wonder, but only the latter was really able to grasp what was happening.

"Wait... tur... turn it off! Turn - turn it off!"

Rey reluctantly wrenched her essence away from Ben's, and the _Falcon_'s shuddering ceased. Turning back to her friends, she begged.

"Let me in. Let me in to be with him."

Finn growled. "Not on your life..."

Rey's heart broke. "Finny..."

"Don't _'Finny'_ me!" he snapped, resisting the cute utterance of his pet name. "You are not getting in!"

Poe, however, appeared torn. "Rey, we can't risk letting you in, if it means he might get out. But..." Approaching a keypad that had been hastily installed, he keystroked a number sequence. A large square opened in the electromagnetic fencing, big enough for Rey to put her face through.

Seeing the chink, Ben allowed himself to safely bring his face quite close. Rey stood as near him as she could, gently reaching through to hold his hand. That glorious smile was back on Ben's face again, given just for her.

"Hi," he murmured.

Rey held back a happy sob. "Hi..." she whispered. Then, not able to stand it any longer, she threw her face through the hole in the fencing, grabbed Ben's cheeks and kissed him. She kissed his lips again and again, moaning between each other. "Hmmm... Mmmm... Ben... Oh, God... Ben..."

"Rey..." Ben groaned, kissing her back. "Force above, I love you so much, Rey..."

Finn's ears had turned pink. Both he and Poe were actively glancing away, if not quite out of respect, then the understanding that the couple needed privacy.

Rey and Ben broke the kiss at last, the soft smack echoing in the hull. Eyes shining, Rey turned back to her friends. "Finny, tell Rosie to bring me the mattress off my cot. I'm sleeping here from now on."

Finn nearly choked. "Like _hell_ you are!"

But Rey held firm. "A wife should be able to sleep next to her husband. The Force married us, and so by Ben's side I shall stay."

"Get the mattress," Poe rumbled suddenly. Finn glanced to his Co-General, horrified.

"You can't be serious..."

"Completely," Poe held a level gaze. "Bring Mrs. Solo a mattress, General - that's an order!"

Being of equal rank, Finn technically didn't have to follow the order. That, among other things, kept him rooted to the spot. Sensing her best friend's worry, Rey said softly, "It's all right, Poe. I'll get it myself."

Poe nodded. "As you wish... Mrs. Solo." She started at this, and then her heart melted. She dared to hope that maybe Poe was starting to understand. Turning back to Ben, she kissed him again. "I'll be back," she murmured quietly against his lips. Then, she happily ran from the _Falcon_.

* * *

That evening, Rey dragged and wrestled the mattress from her cot up the gangplank and down the hallways of the _Falcon_. Finn and Poe followed behind, watching her warily.

"Rey... I really don't think you should be doing this..." Finn got out weakly.

Rey stared at him pointedly. "That is not your decision! I am not going to stop seeing my husband, after having gotten a taste of him." Appearing in front of the electromagnetic fencing, she dropped the mattress heavily, inches away from the sparks. Turning to Ben, she smiled at him lovingly. Drifting her face through the square opening, she and Ben kissed lightly.

"Good evening," Rey murmured adorably.

Ben smirked. "Evening, love." Grinning, Rey flopped down on the mattress, rolling over so she could face him. Finn and Poe observed all of this awkwardly.

"Well, goodnight, Rey," Poe waved tepidly before taking his leave. Finn followed reluctantly.

Turning to each other, Rey and Ben beamed into each other's eyes.

"That square should be a little lower. I wish I could hold your hand..." Ben murmured shyly.

Rey giggled and blushed. "Well, the important thing is that we're together now."

"Yeah." Ben's face took on a serious expression. "Rey, if they decide to kill me..."

"Sssh," Rey whispered, willing her Force essence to slip through, the weight of it to brush his mouth as if she was holding her finger against his lips. "Don't speak. We'll talk about it later..."

"OK." The lovers fell into companionable silence again.

"Rey?"

"Hmm?"

"Will you sing for me?"

She looked at him, smiling in affection. It had been a while since Rey had sung anything, or had a reason to sing. But gazing into his eyes, she began to softly sing a soothing melody:

"_My true love, lost in a shadow play. I will find a way through fear and doubt. I will find you out in the secret places you hide about... Can you hear me now? Can we make a vow? Ever to be faithful... I will show you how... My true love..._"

And both Ben and Rey drifted off to sleep with the lullaby.


	3. Chapter 3: Free

**Chapter 3: Free**

The sharp glare of a spotlight yanked Rey out of the wonderful dream she was having. Rolling onto her side, she squinted past the glare to see her husband also struggling up into a sitting position, blinking and bleary.

"Get up," she heard Poe's voice, sharp and authoritative. When neither husband nor wife rose to their feet fast enough, his tone took on an edge of urgent panic. "Come on, both of you! Get up!"

Standing shakily off the mattress, Rey turned to see Finn frantically tinkering with the keypad controls. Frustrated, he proceeded to yank the entire keypad out of the wall, leaving a socket hole of wires. The purple electromagnetic fencing sparked and winked out. Ben gaped in disbelief, tentatively, taking a step through the now-clear doorway. Nothing happened to shock him, and he ran into Rey's arms, sweeping her into a hug. Turning in his embrace, Rey asked Poe:

"What... what are you doing?"

"Getting you out of here," Poe hissed. He turned to Ben. "Boot up this piece of junk. Be as quiet as you can."

Ben nodded, only slightly trusting. He moved for the cockpit. Finn and Poe guided Rey into the galley. Stopping by the dejarik booth, the Generals turned to face her. Glancing to each other, they both hung their heads in shame.

"Rey..." Finn began. "We've been talking and... you were right. We were blind: no one should be separated from the person they love, and especially not forever."

"That's why we want you and... _Ben_ to run," Poe said earnestly. "I don't care what you do, or where you go. Get as far away as you can! Many of our colleagues want to see him killed, but we can't go through with it if it means you are kept from him. If it means we go against the will of the Force itself!"

Stepping forward, Finn cupped Rey's face in his hands and kissed her on the forehead. "May the Force always be with you. _Always._"

Rey tearfully beamed at him. "Thank you, Finny." Looping her arms about his neck, she hugged him farewell long and tightly. Drawing back, she hugged Poe. Kissed his cheek. Gazing at them, her eyes became wide with fright.

"What about you two?"

Poe sardonically smirked. "Finn and I are the Generals. We can do what we want. People will no doubt ask questions, but we'll make something up."

Holding back a grateful sob, Rey yanked both of them back into a crushing embrace. "Be careful," she implored.

"We will," they murmured. Each of them kissing her one last time, they strode down the gangplank and left.

Racing up to the cockpit, Rey leapt into the co-pilot's seat. Smiling at her, Ben held out his hand.

"Ready?"

Rey slapped her palm into his, giving his fingers a squeeze. "Ready."

And gunning the thrusters, the _Falcon_ lifted off into the air, with Poe and Finn watching. Rising above the jungle trees, and as the white streaks appeared around them while they made the jump to hyperspace, Rey and Ben leaned across the cockpit and gently kissed, before the _Falcon_ disappeared into the nighttime sky...


End file.
